Mekong Press at the Frankfurt Book Fair
Mekong Press Foundation attended the Frankfurt Book Fair (October 2–11, 2010) as an invited guest of Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We were joined by twenty-three other guests from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, including publishing staff from countries as diverse as Nepal, Zimbabwe, Moldova, Haiti, and Egypt.
Representing Mekong Press Foundation were Pannida Bhumiwat and Dueanrung Phusiri, who participated in a three-day seminar. The seminar provided a broad overview of the publishing business, including an introduction to the German publishing cycle, discussions on the publishing environment in various countries, sessions on marketing, rights and licensing, as well as book design. Mekong Press had a booth at the fair that was frequented by several publishers and distributors. Thais attending the fair, including those from the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT), also paid visits. We even had the honor of meeting representatives from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs!
After the fair, Mekong Press joined a tour organized by PUBAT. We first visited Libri GmbH, Germany’s famous book distributor and wholesaler, where we observed the work of the company’s headquarters and were introduced to the very effective system they use to distribute and sell books. We also visited Mediacampus, an educational institution in Frankfurt that offers training and apprenticeship programs to Germany’s book trade. On the second day of the tour, we visited two publishing houses: S. Fischer Verlag GmbH and Campus Verlag GmbH. The experience was delightful. We learned a lot and hope that we can use the knowledge to enhance the work of our Foundation.
